Piano and ping pong.

Look at these grandparents. My girls lucked out. Utah was a nice break from NYC's winter wrath. We danced and sang and played the piano with grandma and ping pong with grandpa.





I must admit, coming back to NYC has not been a totally happy affair. This winter is gripping tight. It isn't fair for one season to invade what is meant to come next. I've felt hollow and haven't had much creativity flowing anywhere. I've always thought I was pretty unassailable - but this one definitely got me. Maybe once winter releases me things will look up. Looking to these little gems in my backyard.

Colette turned 2.

Colette turned 2 while we were in Utah and almost got carried away by her bouquet of balloons.

Time.

My grandfather died not long after Romy was born. He was the last of my living grandparents. Utah is the land of my parents and their parents. My mom and I drove over to Hyrum yesterday, the little town with a Main Street in Northern Utah, where she grew up and where her parents built their life. The house was bare - nothing left. I walked through it and caught glimpses of moments: root-beer floats in the kitchen, sleepovers with cousins in the basement - where my grandpa would tell grizzly bear stories and have us all lie down and swish the liquid in our bellies to help our digestion, informal piano recitals in the living room, standing feeling awed by my grandma's powder puff in the bathroom, games on the front lawn - checkerboard mowed, running out to the tennis court - now decayed and deflated by weeds. The rooms were all chock full - like the feeling in my throat as I moved through them. We sat for a while and I looked through boxes of photographs. It was magical and terrifying. I looked down at Romy sleeping on the floor and the clip of time felt so tangible.

Paradise with the horses.

Out in the sloping, airy hills of Paradise, Utah resides my sister Melanie's horse ("Tuffy" - Too tuff to dream - yes, that is the name). Melanie took Colette to ride. We had read a lot about horses of course and the sheer size of these guys in real life left Colette clingy - a little spooked and thrilled at once. She was brave enough to get up on the saddle all by herself and she shook all fear when Melanie was riding with her. They were up in the pasture cantering away.

Reeds.

I love the wildness of Utah. Lakes and reeds and farms, wide-open sky, and - of course - mountains. Colette ran into a cow - an actual cow - her size surprised her, her sounds and her activities. She kept repeating: "cow-pooing" with a boggled look in her eyes.

Winter colors: Utah.

Romy 2 months.

One month to two months for Romy...surprisingly unchanged. Her cheeks keep taking most of the fat she imbibes. Colette below to compare - these two are different ladies.

One, two, three.

No need to convince Marguerite of Romy's magic...she is sold - look at that look in her eyes (growing up so beautifully!). So, I've been doing this thing lately with Colette - calling her and Romy 'my girls'. Now she repeats it when she sees Romy (pronouns are still a jumbled mess for Colette - "you" is "me" and she just says "my girls" on repeat for comfort) - another chant - I think it is a good sign. She is especially delighted when I hold both her and Romy and carry them together (doesn't last long). Of course there's no need to convince Colette of Marguerite's magic - the holding hands down the stairs variety.